Literary Elements What parts make up a a story? Modified from PowerPoint created by: jc-schools.net

Story Grammar  Plot Exposition Setting Characters Conflict (inciting incident)  Rising Action  Climax  Falling Action  Resolution Theme

SettingSetting Details that describe: Furniture Furniture Scenery Scenery Customs Customs Transportation Transportation Clothing Clothing Dialects Dialects Weather Weather Time Time of day of year Time and place are where the action occurs

Elements of a Setting

The Functions of a Setting  To create a mood or atmosphere  To show a reader a different way of life  To make action seem more real  To be the source of conflict or struggle  To symbolize an idea We left the home place behind, mile by slow mile, heading for the mountains, across the prairie where the wind blew forever. At first there were four of us with one horse wagon and its skimpy load. Pa and I walked, because I was a big boy of eleven. My two little sisters romped and trotted until they got tired and had to be boosted up to the wagon bed. That was no covered Conestoga, like Pa’s folks came West in, but just an old farm wagon, drawn by one weary horse, creaking and rumbling westward to the mountains, toward the little woods town where Pa thought he had an old uncle who owned a little two-bit sawmill. Taken from “The Day the Sun Came Out” by D. Johnson

Types of Characters  People or animals  Major characters  Minor characters  Three-dimensional characters (round)  One-dimensional characters (flat)

Characterization  A  A writer reveals what a character is like and how the character changes throughout the story.  Two  Two primary methods of characterization: Direct- Direct- writer tells what the character is like Indirect- Indirect- writer shows what a character is like by describing what the character looks like, by telling what the character says and does, and by what other characters say about and do in response to the character.

Direct Characterization … And I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I’m a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky. From “Raymond’s Run” by T. Bambara

Indirect Characterization The old man bowed to all of us in the room. Then he removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully. Chaplin once did that in a picture, in a bank--he was the janitor. From “Gentleman of Rio en Medio” by J. Sedillo

Elements of Character

Factors in Analyzing Characters  Physical appearance of character  Personality  Background/personal history  Motivation  Relationships  Conflict  Does character change?

Plot Plot is what happens and how it happens in a narrative. A narrative is any work that tells a story, such as a short story, a novel, a drama, or a narrative poem.

Parts of a Plot  Inciting incident – event that gives rise to conflict (opening situation)  Development- events that occur as result of central conflict (rising action)  Climax- highest point of interest or suspense of story  Resolution- when conflict ends  Denouement- when characters go back to their life before the conflict

Diagram of Plot Inciting incident/ conflict Exposition Rising Action Climax Resolution Denouement Falling Action

Special Techniques of Plot  Suspense- building excitement within tense circumstances or moments  Foreshadowing- hint or clue about what will happen in story (allowing you to predict)  Flashback- interrupts the normal sequence of events to tell about something that happened in the past  Surprise Ending- conclusion that reader does not expect

Conflict  Conflict  Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces  Every  Every plot must contain some kind of conflict  Stories  Stories can have more than one conflict  Conflicts  Conflicts can be external or internal External External conflict- conflict- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle Internal Internal conflict- conflict- takes place in a character’s mind

Theme  A central message, concern, or insight into life expressed through a literary work  Can be expressed by one or two sentence statement about human beings or about life  May be stated directly or implied  Interpretation uncovers the theme

Examples of Theme Courage: Charlotte stands up to Captain Jaggery when he tries to get her to leave the crew and go back to just being a passenger on the ship.

Examples of Theme Friendship: Despite their differing backgrounds– including race, gender, and status– Zachariah and Charlotte form a friendship during the voyage. By the end of the novel, the two characters have built trust with one another.

Examples of Theme Acceptance: It is evident at the end of the story that Charlotte learned that all people should be treated equally. This is illustrated by her helping Bridget, her parents’ servant.

Examples of Theme Justice: Captain Jaggery made a habit of treating others cruelly and basically framed Charlotte for the murder of Hollybrass. Justice is served when he falls to his own death while trying to assault Charlotte.

Examples of Theme Prejudice: In the beginning, Charlotte is afraid of the crew and chooses to trust Captain Jaggery primarily because of social status. (Captain Jaggery reminded her of her father– a gentleman.)

Examples of Theme Self-Discovery: Charlotte learns about her inner self and that she is really a more independent girl than she thought she could be. She learned that she did not have to live by the rules that she was taught by her parents.